During some of the television obits I've been hearing about the late, great Ed McMahon, one of the most common misunderstandings about the Tonight Show sidekick's career has been perpetuated: that he worked for Publishers Clearing House, handing out big checks to unsuspecting sweepstakes winners.
Well, Ed did work for one of those sweepstakes-and-subscriptions houses, but it was PCH's main rival, American Family Publishers. He often appeared in the AFP's ads and mailings with his Bloopers and Practical Jokes buddy Dick Clark.
Not once did McMahon work for PCH, but as Bob pointed out in his obituary, jokes about his sweepstakes work often kept the mistake alive.
Somebody has to stop Ryan Seacrest. Please. I mean it. He's going too far. Seacrest tweeted that he is talking with Lindsay Lohan about her own reality show. Presumably it'll be in the vein of Ryan's other reality star vehicles, Keeping Up With the Kardashians and Denise Richards: It's Complicated. Notice that I didn't say it would have the same quality as those other shows because if you've ever watched more than an episode, you know that quality is not a requirement. Manipulation, mugging and broad fake emotions are all that's necessary.
So, Lindsay Lohan, heed my warning: stop talking to Ryan Seacrest. No good will come of it.
This should comes as no surprise to anybody: Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest was the most-watched TV special on New Year's Eve. The ABC special beat out Carson Daly on NBC.
Dick Clark has been doing these specials since I was a kid (they started in 1972) and I like so many others thought he'd be doing it forever due to his immortal nature. I'm beginning to suspect that the theories that he is, in fact, a robot might be untrue. Obviously the torch will eventually be passed to Mr. Seacrest (whose name now adorns the title of the show),
ABC should run a promotion stating that each year "could be Dick Clark's last year". That could boost ratings. On the other hand, it looks like they don't need the boost. The question is: when Dick is finally put out to pasture, will viewers abandon the sole host Ryan and start watching Carson?
New Year's Eve. A time to celebrate, get poop-faced drunk, reflect on the last year and the new one to follow, and get even more drunk as you see the daunting task ahead. It is, or was, also a time for an annual tradition that, whether you were stone-cold sober or falling down drunk, was a regular part of your celebrating.
Until his stroke in 2004, Dick Clark counted down the remaining seconds of the current year with millions of others during his annual New Year's Rockin' Eve specials, first on NBC (1972 and 73), then on ABC. In the beginning, most of the show was live. But as the years moved on, only the Times Square performances would go out live while many other performances would be pre-taped (remember that episode of Friends?). In it's most recent incarnation, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest (God, what an awful title), there's a lot more performance and a lot less celebration.
The book series that every nosy relative in your family says you should read if you want to live a better life is about to become the TV series that every nosy relative in your family says you should watch if you want to live a better life.
According to Variety, Dick Clark Productions has inked a deal to bring the Chicken Soup for the Soul books to the small screen... again... with the series' creator, the oh-so-appropriately named Jack Canfield, serving as co-host.
This isn't the first time the super-sappy book series has been turned into a television show. Pax TV, the network now known as Ion Television that's completely devoid of any graphic violent images, sexual content or ratings, turned the book series into a show just before the turn of the millennium.
This is a post about a TV show I've never even seen.
Coronet Blue was a short-lived TV show that ran on CBS in 1967. It was actually filmed in 1965 and CBS canceled it, deciding to burn off the episodes during the summer. The show actually did better than expected, but by that time the people involved in the show had moved on to other things. The show's star, Frank Converse, went on to N.Y.P.D. (hey, if you mix that show title with this one you get...NYPD Blue!).
TV Land has a Beverly Hillbillies marathon all night.
HBO has an Entourage marathon all night.
Sci-Fi has The Twilight Zone all night.
Discovery has a Mythbusters marathon.
At 8, PBS has a new Live From Lincoln Center, with Joshua Bell and the New York Philharmonic.
AMC has a Planet of the Apes marathon all night, starting with the original at 8.
At 10, ABC has Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve 2008 (whew!) with Clark and Ryan Seacrest. It's interrupted at 11 for local news then picks up again at 11:35.
At 11, FOX has New Year's Eve Live, with Cat Deeley and Spike Feresten.
CNN has Anderson Cooper in Times Square starting at 11.
Motorcycle stunt rider Robbie Maddison is going to attempt to jump a football field in Las Vegas tonight. ESPN has live coverage starting at 11.
Also at 11: MTV has New Year's Eve coverage too, with Tila Tequila.
At 11:35, NBC has New Year's Eve with Carson Daly.
OK, I'm not sure if this Late Show with David Letterman episode that airs on CBS tonight is the purest definition of the word "classic," but at least it's not from two weeks ago like most repeats are on late night shows nowadays.
Jay Leno has been showing episodes from the 1990s lately, and now Letterman has reached into the vault. Tonight's show is from December 17, 1998 and features Angelina Jolie, Jeff Goldblum, and Third Eye Blind. I'm trying to figure out what was going on in Jolie's life at the time. She wasn't with Brad Pitt of course. Was this the Billy Bob Thornton/blood vials era? Here's the rundown on the show. Dick Clark makes a cameo (with a sketch about his New Year's Eve special), as does Casey Kasem. I wonder who got top billing back then, Jolie or Goldblum?
Yeah, I'm repeating myself, but the only two words that come to mind about today's Family Guy table read/lunch session are: freakin' sweet!
And I'm not just talking about the FG swag (pens, notebooks, inflatable Brian dolls) either. The cast of FG is doing a live table read of the show's 100th episode titled "Stewie Kills Lois." The title says it all!
A FOX publicist advises anyone of the faint of heart and all non-Quagmire-types to consider making their way to the exit door. I don't see anyone leave.
I know this almost seems like a yearly event now, but let's just get it out of the way: how many of you watched New Year's Rockin'Eve2007 out of sheer morbid curiosity over how much Dick Clark has improved since last year's broadcast? Remember, the only public appearance he made in between the two New Year's Eve broadcasts was when he was honored at the Grammys Emmys, and he only seemed in slightly better shape then.
So, how'd he fare this year? A little better: his voice was a little more understandable and he didn't lose his breath as much. He seemed to be able to move, albeit deliberately. But, like last year, the more he spoke, the less you could understand him, and the more it seemed like he was behind the action that was going on in Times Square (especially on the countdown to midnight).
This begs the question, then: Is it time for ol' Dick to finally hang up the microphone?
At 7, CBS repeats their 60 Minutes tribute to Ed Bradley.
At 7:30 (or after football), FOX has The O.T.
NBC has a new Football Night In America at 7, followed by the Packers vs. the Bears.
At 8, PBS has a new Live From Lincoln Center, featuring Audra McDonald, followed by a New Year's Eve concert by Garrison Keillor and his band on a new Great Performances.
HBO has The Producers at 8.
Also at 8: TLC has several new episodes of Resolutionaries, where people see if they can stick to their New Year's resolutions.
At 9, The CW has the magic special Keith Barry: Extraordinary, with guests Jessica Simpson and Matthew McConaughey.
Sci-Fi has a Twilight Zone marathon all day and night (and tomorrow too), while TBS has a Seinfeld marathon.
At 10, ABC has Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, then it's interrupted by local news at 11, then he and Ryan Seacrest countdown to midnight at 11:30.
At 11, FOX has their New Year's Eve countdown.
There's a new Lisa Williams on Lifetime at 11.
At 11:30, MSNBC and CNBC has New Year's Eve With Carson Daly, which I assume NBC stations will show too if the football game and local news doesn't interrupt it.
New Year's resolutions vary from person to person. Some make a resolution to give up smoking, others to lose weight. My resolution is the same one as always: garner enough money and power to eventually become king of Earth. That, and getting soft-core porn onto network television.
Then there are some whose resolutions are much simpler. Take Ryan Seacrest, for example. When Mr. American Idol steps up to the platform to co-host Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2007 on Sunday all he really wants is to have a little snogging session with Christina Aguilera, who is performing on the show. Last year, Seacrest was able to lock lips with Mariah Carey.
Well, good luck to Ryan. And, if he can't get a kiss from Christina maybe he can get one from a musician in the band Rascal Flatts or a cast member from Broadway's production of Jersey Boys, who are also performing on the show.
During some of the television obits I've been hearing about the late, great Ed McMahon, one of the most common misunderstandings about the Tonight Show sidekick's career has been perpetuated: that he worked for Publishers Clearing House, handing out big checks to unsuspecting sweepstakes winners.
This should comes as no surprise to anybody: Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest was 
TBS has a 
New Year's Eve. A time to celebrate, get poop-faced drunk, reflect on the last year and the new one to follow, and get even more drunk as you see the daunting task ahead. It is, or was, also a time for an annual tradition that, whether you were stone-cold sober or falling down drunk, was a regular part of your celebrating.
The book series that every nosy relative in your family says you should read if you want to live a better life is about to become the TV series that every nosy relative in your family says you should watch if you want to live a better life. 
In the Lame Title Department, 
TV Land has a Beverly Hillbillies marathon all night. 
OK, I'm not sure if this 
Yeah, I'm repeating myself, but the only two words that come to mind about today's Family Guy table read/lunch session are: freakin' sweet!
I know this almost seems like a yearly event now, but let's just get it out of the way: how many of you watched New Year's Rockin' Eve 2007 out of sheer morbid curiosity over how much Dick Clark has improved 
At 7, CBS repeats their 60 Minutes tribute to Ed Bradley. 
New Year's resolutions vary from person to person. Some make a resolution to give up smoking, others to lose weight. My resolution is the same one as always: garner enough money and power to eventually become king of Earth. That, and getting soft-core porn onto network television.
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